Candle follower



Patented May 16, 1944 IUNITED STATES TENT OFFICE CANDLE FGLLOWER Frederic Bormann, Ipswich, S; Dak.

Application March 25, 1943, Serial No. 480,475

4 Claims. (C1. 67-21) My invention relates to improvements in candle followers of the nature of the follower disclosed in Patent No. 2,231,656, granted to me February 1l, 1941, and which is well suited to ordinary candles of relatively small diameter, consumable, per unit of length, in a relatively short time.

It is desirable for various purposes, particularly in church devotions, to employ candles of long life. To this end and for reasons governed by certain church regulations, candles are desired which are made of beeswax, a relatively slowburning material of a relatively high melting point. In further promotion of the longevity of such candles, they are desirably supplied in sizes of relatively great diameter and with relatively slender wicks so that the consumption thereof per unit of length will require a comparatively long time. In other words, long-burning candles of this nature, capable of burning, say for twenty-four hours per inch, as compared with candles of smaller diameter burning, say for two hours per inch, are in demand.

Various attempts to adapt drip-preventing followers to such long-burning candles have failed due to the inability of such followers to provide a uniformly deep pool of molten wax and an underlying uniformly thin stratum of semi-solid Wax completely across the relatively wide top of a candle for producing about the perimeter of such stratum of semi-solid wax an unvarying seal between follower and candle, whereby the follower is induced to descend by gravity without tendency of cocking or tilting to such an extent as to cause the breaking of the seal and the consequent loss of molten wax.

An object of my present invention'is to provide a simple, durable and inexpensive candle follower providing an efficiently operating drip-preventing structure for long-burning candles of relatively great diameter.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to supply a sleeve-like generally frustoconical glass follower, as above, designed to cause the transfer of heat from the candle flame to the body of the candle in a manner creating and maintaining a uniformly deep pool of molten wax, entirely covering the top of the candle and correspondingly forming an underlying uniformly thin stratum of semi-solid wax for perimetrical sealing contact with the follower, while controlling the admission of combustion supporting air to the flame in promotion of the longevity of the candle.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a candle having thereon a follower constructed in accordance with my present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the candle and follower shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional View of the same candle and follower, said View showing the candle lighted and illustrating the resulting pool of molten wax and the underlying stratum of semi-solid wax.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein similar parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the several views, it will be understood that the fragmentarily illustrated candle lil and the follower A thereon are portrayed in full size, the candle I0 being of relatively great diameter and the wick il thereof being relatively thin. Thickness of the candle and thinness of its wick are desirable in the interest of longevity of the candle and in addition thereto, the stock of the candle preferably will be of beeswax, a material that is of a relatively high melting point and slow-burning and which for ritualistic reasons is required under certain circumstances.

The follower A is designed to function efficiently in connection with a candle, as above described, to the end that waste of the candle, through drippage, is prevented and to the further end that the features of the candle promoting the long-burning thereof are augmented by controlling the volume of combustion supporting air admitted to the flame of the lighted wick.

The follower A is a thin-walled unitary struc-- ture made of heat-resisting glass through which the flame is visible. It is of sleeve-like generally frusto-conical form consisting of a neck l2, a skirt i3 and a sealing portion i4 between said neck and skirt. The follower A further includes a dished cap l5 issuing inwardly and downwardly from the upper extremity of the neck I2, said cap portion I5 having a central `port i5 therein axially aligned with the wick Il of the candle IG for the escape of products of combustion from the flame I1 of the lighted wick. This cap portion i5 and the adjoining portion of the neck i2 forms an annular pocket I8 which temporarily, at least, traps air heated by the flame Il. The neck l2 is constricted medially thereof, as at I9, the level of greatest constriction corresponding to that of the body of the llame il, thus bringing the constricted region of said neck i2 into relatively near proximity to said flame. The can portion I and neck I2 are heated in substantial degree through radiation by the flame I'I and by the hot air trapped in the pocket I8. These portions i5 and I2 of the follower A being thus heated, said follower serves to transfer such heat to the perimeter of the candle Ii) where it is contacted by the sealing `portion I4 of the follower. The heat thus transferred to the :perimeter of the candle I0 and radiated heat from the name I'I, which reaches the central area of the candle at the top thereof, causes the wax at the upper portion of the candle to melt entirely across the candle forming a uniformly deep pool of molten wax within the confines of the neck I2 beneath the level of its greatest constriction, producing a (zo-extensive underlying uniformly thin stratum of semi-solid wax 2| in circumferential sealing contact with the sealing portion I4 of the follower A. Thus, a perimetrically unvarying seal is provided between the follower A and the candle I, said seal being rendered securely leak-proof by reason of the lack of anytendency of the follower A to tilt or cock in its descent on the burning candle, as would be likelLs7 to occur in the absence of the creation and maintenance of a uniform relatively thin stratum of semi-solid wax providing the seal.

To support combustion at the flame I1, I provide a number of air inlet openings 22 in the neck I2. These openings 22 are uniformly spaced apart about said neck and are formed above the level of greatest constriction thereof and, correspondingly, above the level of the molten wax 20 of the pool. Said openings 22, however, are disposed beneath the air-trapping pocket I8 formed at the junction of the upper portion of the neck I 2 and the cap portion I5 of the follower. These air inlet openings Z2 are limited in size to control the admission of air to the interior of the follower A, whereby combustion in the flame willbe supported in a manner to render the llame bright, but relatively small, thus promoting longevity of the candle.

From the foregoing, it will be readily comprehended that the present invention is particularly advantageous in that it provides a simple, inexpensive, drip-proof, life-prolonging candle follower capable of efficient operation particularly as applied to a candle formed of relatively great diameter for long-life and to such a candle formed of slow-.burning wax of high melting point and with a wick made thin in promotion of the longevity of the candle.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent 1s:

l. A unitary sleeve-like generally frusto-conical glass follower for a candle of relatively great diameter made of relatively slow-burning material of a high melting point and having a relatively thin wick axially thereof, said follower comprising a neck and a skirt and a sealing portion therebetween, also a dished cap portion having a central port axially aligned with said wick for the escape of products of combustion from the flame of the lighted wick, said cap portion sloping inwardly and downwardly and in conjunction with said neck providing an annular pocket for trapping air heated by said name, said neck being constricted to bring the same intermediately thereof into relatively near proximity to said flame, said follower serving to transfer heat from the flame to the perimeter of the candle and thus cause the formation of a uniformly deep pool of molten wax entirely across the top of the candle within the confines of the neck beneath the level of its greatest constriction, producing a co-extensive underlying uniformly thin stratum of semi-solid wax for perimetrical sealing contact with said sealing portion, whereby is provided an unvarying leakproof seal between the candle and follower, said neck having air inlet openings therein spaced about the same above the level of its greatest restriction, said inlet openings admitting cornbustion supporting air to the flame under restriction to induce slow-burning of the candle.

2. A unitary sleeve-like generally frusto-conical glass follower for a candle of relatively great diameter having a wick axially thereof, said follower comprising a neck and a skirt and a sealing portion therebetween, also a cap portion having a central port axially aligned with said wick for the escape of products of combustion from the flame of the lighted wick, said neck being constricted to bring the same intermediately thereof into relatively near proximity to said flame, said follower serving to transfer heat from the flame to the perimeter of the candle and thus cause the formation of a uniformly deep pool of molten wax entirely across the top of the candle within the confines of the neck beneath the level of its greatest constriction, producing a co-extensive underlying uniformly thin stratum of the semi-solid wax for perimetrical sealing contact with said sealing portion, whereby is provided an unvarying leakproof seal between the candle and follower, said neck having air inlet openings therein spaced about the same above the level of its greatest restriction, said inlet openings admitting combustion supporting air to the flame under restriction to induce slow burning of the candle.

3. A unitary sleeve-like frusto-conical glass follower for a candle of relatively great diameter having a wick axially thereof, said follower cornprising a neck and a skirt and a sealing portion therebetween, also a dished cap portion having a central port axially aligned with said wick for the escape of products of combustion from the flame of the lighted wick, said cap portion sloping inwardly and downwardly and in conjunction with said neck providing an annular pocket for trapping air heated by said flame, said follower serving to transfer heat from the flame to the perimeter of the candle and thus cause the formation of a uniformly deep pool of molten wax entirely across the top of the candle within the confines of the neck at the lower portion thereof, producing a co-extensive underlying uniformly thin stratum of the semi-solid wax for perimetrical sealing contact with said sealing portion, whereby is provided an unvarying leakproof seal between the candle and follower, said neck having air inlet openings therein spaced about the same at the upper portion thereof, said inlet openings admitting combustion supporting air to the name under restriction to induce slow-burning of the candle.

4. A unitary sleeve-like frusto-conical glass follower for a candle of relatively great diameter having a wick axially thereof, said follower comprising a neck and a skirt and a sealing portion therebetween, also a cap portion having a central port axially aligned with said wick for the escape of products of combustion from the flame of the lighted wick, said centrally ported cap portion annularly overreaching a substantial portion of the top of the candle inside of the innermost connes of the neck said follower serving to transfer heat from the flame to the perimeter of the candle and thus cause the formation of a uniformly deep pool of molten wax entirely across the top of the candle within the connes of the neck at the lower portion thereof, producing a co-extensive underlying uniformly thin stratum of the semi-solid wax for perlmetrical sealing contact with said sealing portion, whereby is provided an unvarying leakproof seal between the candle and follower, said neck having air inlet openings therein spaced about the same at the upper portion thereof, but substantially beneath the junction between said neck and cap portion, said inlet openings admitting combustion supporting air to the flame under restriction to induce slow-burning of the 10 candle.

FREDERIC BORMANN. 

